Bless It Forward introduces mentoring program By GREG MENZA January 20, 2009 Dream Builders, a new mentoring program developed in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Columbia, the Bless It Forward organization and representatives from several local churches has begun in Columbia. Rick Fisher, is the program’s founder and President of Bless It Forward, a non-profit 501c3 organization providing funding and coordination for the Dream Builders program. “Every statistic and measure of our children’s future potential is heading in the wrong direction. Each year there are more high school drop outs, teen pregnancies, alcohol and drug related incidents, teen suicides and gang activity than the year before,” Fisher said. “The time to do something is now, and the way to turn things around for many of our children is through a strong mentoring program.” Fisher said Dream Builders is based on the Teach One to Lead One program (T1L1) which has seen success in several major cities across the United States and Cape Town, South Africa. “We are very encouraged by the results we have seen from the T1L1 program. The results have been nothing short of dramatic for thousands of students who have completed this program nationwide,” Fisher said. “In Georgia, the Cobb County Commission on Children and Youth has adopted it as one of its main character development programs for teens.” Dream Builders teaches children leadership skills based on Universal principles and challenges them to become leaders in their neighborhoods and with their peers. The Boys & Girls Club provides the facilities and students to participate in the leadership training. Mentors have come from a variety of local churches and denominations and are required to complete a lengthy application complete with references and are subject to multiple background checks. “This program is going to be a tremendous benefit to our staff and our members,” said John Stephens, Boys & Girls Club of Columbia director. “It will help our staff to be even more effective and teach our kids to become great role models.” Staff members at the club participated in an intensive training program led by Mr. Fisher over the Christmas holidays and with eight other adult mentors began working with club members earlier this month. The program is designed to provide students with practical tools to combat the unique challenges they face while obtaining guidance from stable and healthy adult mentors. “It’s clear that we must bring trusted and caring adults to the aid of our children,” Fisher said. “Through this program children will learn to recognize the benefits that healthy living habits bring them and learn to evaluate their actions in view of the potential consequences.” |